Research in NIDCD mission areas is expanding at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Since 2000, UCI has sponsored interactions and interdisciplinary collaborations among a group of 13 faculty who currently comprise the Center for Hearing Research (CHR). The potential for further interdisciplinary work is substantial, with 20 faculty spanning 11 Departments in 5 Schools at UCI performing research in NIDCO mission areas. For these investigators, CHR will establish a UC Irvine Core Center for Hearing and Communication Research to: 1) facilitate ongoing research by consolidating resources and providing access to state-of-the-art technology, 2) promote interdisciplinary work by educating users about Core facilities and providing expert assistance, and 3) recruit investigators from diverse backgrounds to research in NIDCD mission areas. We propose two Core facilities: 1) The Imaging Core will provide a 2-photon imaging system for visualizing neurons and real-time neural activity in live or fixed tissue. The system will enable new kinds of experiments, e.g., examining activity simultaneously in many neurons, or overtime during development. An imaging specialist will facilitate the integration of this technology into existing research programs and among users from multiple disciplines. 2) The Computing and Engineering Core will provide signal processing and electronic systems support for physiological and behavior research and for device development. The development of common signal processing algorithms will promote interdisciplinary collaborations (e.g., between physiological and behavioral projects) and facilitate data sharing. Core personnel will conduct a lecture series to familiarize new researchers with the engineering technologies used in core users'laboratories. The two Cores also will interact with each other, e.g., software development for image analysis, or for sharing data. These shared facilities will enhance ongoing research at UCI and accelerate the trend towards interdisciplinary research in NIDCD mission areas. The resulting synergy among disciplines is critical for a fuller understanding of communication and communication disorders. Center Administration Program Director: Raju Metherate, Ph.D.